非酒精性脂肪性肝炎相关肝细胞癌小鼠模型的肾损伤及其潜在机制
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1.沈阳药科大学;2.中国食品药品检定研究院

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致癌性小鼠模型KI.C57-ras (V2.0)验证研究(GJJSYJ202401)


Renal Injury and Its Potential Mechanisms in a Murine Model of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis-associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma
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1.Shenyang Pharmaceutical University;2.National Institutes for Food and Drug Control

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    摘要:

    目的 非酒精性脂肪性肝炎(Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH)的恶行进展是引起肝细胞癌(Hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC)的主要因素之一,也是慢性肾病的独立风险因素。NASH和HCC进展的协同作用可能会加剧肾损伤。同时,NASH引起的肾病进展程度与肝纤维化/肝硬化程度呈正相关关系。目前,NASH-HCC与肾损伤之间的关系及肾损伤致病机制尚未明确。本研究拟基于新型NASH-HCC小鼠模型(HRAS-HCC),研究伴随非酒精性脂肪肝炎相关的肝癌发生的肾损伤、功能失调、组织学及分子学特征,以探索NASH-HCC诱发肾损伤的潜在机制,旨在为临床研究疾病发生机制及探索诊疗方法提供重要模型工具。方法 实验采用本室自主构建的HRAS-HCC小鼠,以同窝隐性小鼠和野生型C57BL/6小鼠为对照组。5周龄时通过注射他莫西芬诱导小鼠肝组织中HRAS基因表达,进而引发NASH-HCC的发生与进展。在NASH-HCC进展过程中(1-4周),定期监测小鼠的体重、精神状态等一般特征,并于选择时间点采集血液样本并检测相关指标;通过HE染色和马松染色分析小鼠肾组织的病变特征。结果 与对照组相比,HRAS-HCC小鼠在一个月内从NASH阶段,经肝纤维化进展到HCC,表现出黄疸、呼吸急促、弓背、便血、肝肿大和脾肿大等临床症状。4周时,HRAS-HCC小鼠血清中碱性磷酸酶(ALP)降低(P<0.05),血清尿酸氮(UREA)、尿酸(UA)和肌酐(CREA)升高(P<0.05)。HE病理结果显示,HRAS-HCC小鼠肾组织在不同时期存在程度不一的肾小管嗜碱性变、透明性肾小球、肾小管上皮细胞透明滴样变等多种病变。同时,马松染色观察到HRAS-HCC小鼠肾组织还存在纤维化病变,且肾纤维化(2-3周)与肝纤维化/肝硬化(2-3周)的发生时间及严重程度存在相关性。进一步检测肾损伤相关分子表达发现,3周时细胞角蛋白18(Krt18)、Smad3、纤维连接蛋白(Fn)、转化生长因子-β(Tgf-β)在mRNA水平表达升高(P<0.05)。同时,蛋白质互作网络(PPI)分析结果显示人源HRAS和FN、SMAD3间存在蛋白互作关系。结论 本研究结果表明,NASH-HCC引起的肾损伤与肝纤维化程度呈正相关关系,初步展示了NASH-HCC引起的肾损伤的病理特征和分子特征,提示HRAS-SMAD3-FN轴可能存在重要的作用。本研究呈现了特有的NASH-HCC伴随肾损伤动物模型,该模型较真实的重现了临床上肾损伤的疾病特征,为制定该疾病的临床治疗策略奠定了基础。【关键词】HRAS-HCC小鼠模型;NASH-HCC;肾损伤;SMAD3;TGF-β

    Abstract:

    Objective Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a major driver of malignant progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and constitutes an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The synergistic effects of NASH–HCC progression may exacerbate renal injury; moreover, the severity of NASH-associated nephropathy is positively correlated with the extent of hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis. Nonetheless, the relationship between NASH–HCC and renal injury, together with its underlying pathogenic mechanisms, remains incompletely elucidated. Objective Using a novel murine NASH–HCC model (HRAS-HCC), this study aimed to characterize the renal injury, functional impairment, histopathological alterations, and molecular signatures accompanying hepatocarcinogenesis driven by NASH, thereby delineating potential mechanistic links between NASH–HCC and renal damage. Methods HRAS-HCC transgenic mice generated in-house were employed; littermate negative controls and wild-type C57BL/6 mice served as comparators. At 5 weeks of age, tamoxifen administration induced hepatocyte-specific HRAS expression, thereby initiating and propagating NASH–HCC. During disease progression (weeks 1–4), body weight, general condition, and behavioural parameters were monitored serially. Blood was collected at predetermined time points for biochemical analyses. Renal tissue was subjected to haematoxylin–eosin (H E) and Masson’s trichrome staining to evaluate structural and fibrotic changes. Results Within four weeks, HRAS-HCC mice transitioned from NASH through hepatic fibrosis to established HCC, manifesting jaundice, tachypnoea, kyphosis, haematochezia, hepatosplenomegaly, and other clinical signs. At week 4, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (UA), and creatinine (CREA) were markedly elevated (P < 0.05). Histopathology revealed temporally heterogeneous renal lesions, including tubular basophilia, hyaline glomerulopathy, and tubular epithelial cytoplasmic hyaline droplet formation. Masson’s staining demonstrated renal fibrosis whose onset (weeks 2–3) and severity paralleled those of hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis. Quantitative RT-PCR at week 3 showed up-regulation of keratin-18 (Krt18), Smad3, fibronectin (Fn), and transforming growth factor-β (Tgf-β) mRNA (P < 0.05). Protein–protein interaction (PPI) analyses further indicated direct interactions among human HRAS, FN, and SMAD3. Conclusions These data establish a positive correlation between NASH–HCC–induced renal injury and the degree of hepatic fibrosis, delineate the attendant histopathological and molecular signatures, and implicate the HRAS–SMAD3–FN axis as a putative mechanistic pathway. The HRAS-HCC mouse model uniquely recapitulates key clinicopathological features of human NASH–HCC complicated by CKD, thereby providing a robust preclinical platform for mechanistic dissection and therapeutic

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  • 收稿日期:2025-08-13
  • 最后修改日期:2026-01-05
  • 录用日期:2026-02-06
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